Introvert
Stanislav “Standa” Riha
Visual artist, photographer, and writer
Member of CARFAC
Born in 1952 in Prague, former Czechoslovakia. He grew up in Lesser Town (Malá Strana), surrounded by great medieval and modern art and artists that caused his desire to create. From early childhood, he enjoyed drawing and later painting; as a young man, he focused mainly on surrealism. His artistic attitude was shaped by many art courses in childhood, followed by art training by MgA Milos Saska and work in set production of the Realistic Theatre.
In 1980, he lived for a year in Grinzing, Vienna, Austria, and then moved to Vancouver, BC, Canada. Enchanted with the natural beauty of British Columbia, he dedicated the first few years to realistic nature themes and then switched to Surreal and later Surreal-abstract creative work.
In the last three decades, I have been creating wall-mounted, cast resin, and aluminum sculptures combined with canvas and gold leaf and exploring the computer as an art tool for creating digital artwork.
All my life, I have loved to create art full of emotions and feelings, “soul,” with the satisfaction of fun. I am interested in the balance and composition of colors and objects rather than the reality of the items.
The direction of the last two decades has been aimed at understanding and, through artwork, expressing the human struggle of emotions and adaptations. For the past ten years, I have been polishing my creative work in the Surreal-abstract style.
The main motto of my artwork is: Just as in a good story, the readers have space to create their image; in a good picture, the viewers can form their account.
Iris Portrait
Stephanie Navon Jacobson has exhibited in galleries and museums in the United States and internationally, including the National Arts Club (NYC), Heckscher Museum (Huntington, NY), the Shenzhen Art Institute (China), the Islip Museum, and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking (Norwalk, CT). Her work is in the permanent collections of Queensborough Community College, the New York University School of Law, the American Paralysis Association, and private collections throughout the United States, Canada, Norway, and Israel. Stephanie has been a juror for the Suburban Art League, the National Art League, Tri-County Artists, the Long Beach Art Association, and the Port Washington Art Guild. Stephanie has been an assistant to master printmakers, Ruth Leaf, Dan Welden, and Susan Rostow. She is currently on the faculty of St John’s University, the Art League of Long Island, the Art Guild of Port Washington, and Great Neck Community Education, where she teaches printmaking, as well as other art disciplines.
As an artist, I am always observing the world around me. Whether floral, landscape, animal or figure, abstract or realistic, my images are rooted in nature. I am a printmaker who paints, rather than a painter who prints. I often combine different processes by layering an etching over a silkscreen or a woodcut, etc. There is an element of surprise each time I pull a print.
Teaching is another passion of mine. After working as a graphic designer in NYC, I decided to go back to graduate school for my master’s. This happened 20 years after my Bachelor’s degree. I received my Master’s degree in May 2002, and in September I joined the faculty at St John’s University. I also teach adult classes at the Art League of Long Island, the Art Guild of Port Washington, and Great Neck Community Education. It is very satisfying to work with people who are new to printmaking and watch their enthusiasm. Printmaking is extremely versatile. It can stand alone, or be incorporated with other mediums, such as oil, watercolor, drawing, or collage. There are myriad ways to approach printmaking. I encourage my students to add printmaking to their artistic arsenal and incorporate it with their other artistic pursuits. Personally, while my passion is printmaking, I feel it enhances my painting.
Ironically Free Baker Miller Pink
My name is Alesia and I chose “Fluid Queen” as my name of art. I was born in Germany to Eastern European parents. But most of my formative creative years were spent between Milan, New York, and now Dubai where I developed a passion for international cultures and creative expressions. I’ve explored different media – from resin to polymer clay, from oil to watercolors – and have always been fascinated by avant-guard and the interrelation between macro and micro worlds.
I grew up exposed to a folkloristic culture of Eastern Europe and Baltic countries, where my grandparents and great-grandparents on both sides were enjoying their peaceful lives after WW2, dedicating a lot of their time to handmade artistry – knitting in particular. So I strongly associate those captivating patterns with something curious and extremely peaceful… In fact, I use them a lot in my abstract artworks contrasting contemporary geometric objects with delicate hand-knitted doodling. A daring, yet surreal fantasy…
My personal credo states that dedication to any form of art or creativity leaves no space for sadness, negative thinking, or even conflicts. Positivity transforms us and everything around us. As Dostoyevsky once said, “beauty will save the world». Something that I could not really comprehend at my younger age. I totally understand it now. Art is therapeutic…
Art, and painting in particular, represents to me the magnificence of the universe. Extremely intriguing and inviting but most boundaryless and full of endless opportunities.
I’ve always been deeply fascinated by the relationship between the micro (knitting patterns, cells under a microscope) and macro worlds (the space) and how their contrasting worlds could trigger deep, introspective, and existential questions.
My art is often inquisitive, rich in symbolism, and at times ironic. It always leaves room for interpretation. Just like an endless universe, my work is meant to stretch far beyond the physical limit of a canvas.
Is It Spring Yet
I am a self-taught artist who has been immersed in the world of art since childhood. My journey with art began with a deep fascination for the natural world, which continues to be the core inspiration for my work. I specialize in acrylic paint and watercolors, mediums that allow me to explore the delicate interplay of light and color.
My paintings are often dreamlike landscapes and impressionistic floral scenes, characterized by their soft and bright palettes. I gravitate towards shades of peaches and pinks, which infuse my work with a sense of warmth and serenity. Whether depicting the gentle curve of a petal or the vast expanse of the sea, my art aims to capture the ephemeral beauty of nature.
Through my work, I hope to evoke a sense of calm and wonder, inviting viewers to step into a world where the colors of nature are celebrated in all their soft, radiant glory.
My art is a reflection of my deep connection with nature, a bond that has been nurtured since childhood. As a self-taught artist, I have always found solace and inspiration in the natural world, where the delicate details of flowers and the vast, calming presence of the sea captivate me. These elements serve as the foundation of my creative process.
Working with acrylic paint and watercolors, I am drawn to the soft and bright hues of peaches and pinks, which have become signature tones in my work. These colors allow me to explore the gentle interplay of light and atmosphere, creating pieces that are both serene and vibrant. My paintings often take the form of dreamlike landscapes and impressionistic floral scenes, where reality merges with imagination, evoking a sense of peace and wonder.
Through my art, I aim to offer viewers a moment of tranquility and a reminder of the beauty that exists in the world around us. My work is an invitation to pause, to breathe, and to immerse oneself in the simple yet profound elegance of nature.
Is This Love That Im Feeling
Buena Johnson is a Los Angeles-based visual artist and art instructor. Recently, Buena’s work became a part of the permanent collection of the Laguna Art Museum. She has exhibited at the Band of Vices Art Gallery and was a featured artist with the Los Angeles Lakers. Her solo exhibitions include TAG Gallery, in 2021, and The Los Angeles Art Association’s GALLERY 825 in 2023. She was also an Artist In Residence in South LA and taught art at UCLA for 8 years. Buena is a graduate of Pratt Institute of Art in NY.
Buena’s art is deeply influenced by the African American experience and reframing black history through positivity and truth. In prior years her work portrayed a visual history of jazz, blues, and gospel music legends. She also produced an inspired Angel and biblical series influenced by her upbringing as a (PK) Preacher’s Kid. Religious and Christian iconography appears often in Buena’s drawings and paintings.
She has received widespread recognition for her realism style of fine art. She primarily uses Pencil to create portraits and highly detailed figurative art, drawn from her own photographed sources and imagination.
Buena has worked as a teaching artist for many Southern California libraries and community centers. She had the privilege of instructing unhoused Veterans through UCLA and the Veteran’s Association. Her artworks were shown at the Brand Library and Art Center, the Los Angeles Art Association, Spectrum-RedDot Miami, ArtShareLA, and a solo exhibition at the Museum of African American Art. Also, Buena’s work has been showcased in the History Collection at the Smithsonian, collected by the Getty Collection, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) LA, and
the Laguna Art Museum. Her work has been used by set designers in major studio films and on network television.
Buena’s work exists in the private collections of notables and celebrities.
I am a fine artist, art instructor, & owner of Buena Vision Art Studio. My aim is to inform, educate, motivate positive change & promote healing. The media I use mainly is Pencil & I sometimes incorporate Acrylics, WaterColor & Collaging. My style is realism & I use symbolism & surrealism.
I grew up a PK (a Preacher’s Kid) & this spiritual upbringing influenced my earlier work which consisted of Positive Affirmations, Angels, & themes directly from Bible verses & stories. My recent series is focused on Joy. The inspired pencil artwork titled “Is This Love That I’m Feeling” captures joy on the partially covered & shaded face of a young lady wearing a large colorful sun hat showing mainly her happy smile. A ladybug (a symbol of good luck & positivity) circles her hat brim’s edge as bright flowers magically fall in a floating fashion in the background. Is This LOVE…conveys Joy.
My work has been showcased in the Smithsonian, The Getty Collection, MOCA LA & museums & galleries nationally & internationally. I am also a former UCLA Arts Professor & recently received a Lifetime Arts Achievement Award.
Isha And Me
Virginia Primozic was born in New Mexico, but has been nomadic since the age of six, her journey including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, and France. Virginia’s mother was also a professional artist, working primarily in oils, and it was through her influence that Virginia first began to consider paper as a primary medium.
Virginia’s condensed list of influences includes familiar names from the world of collage, such as Braque, Matisse, and Peter Blake. Closer to home, Virginia appreciates the way Edward Gonzales uses blocks of color, and the way Bill Baker doesn’t blend his pastels. She also draws inspiration from artists working in a variety of other media.
Virginia holds an Associate of Applied Arts in Gallery Management from Santa Fe Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. She has won awards in mixed media and recognition from the National Collage Society. Virginia’s work has also been selected for the permanent collections of public art at the Albuquerque International Airport, the McKinley County Courthouse, Central New Mexico Community College, and the Gallup New Deal Art Virtual Museum.
Virginia currently lives and works in Gallup, NM, on the southern edge of the Navajo Nation, surrounded by the beauty of the southwest’s high desert landscape.
As a favorite author has observed, we live on a tilt-a-whirl in the middle of a carnival – stuck to the surface of a rotating, watery blue ball, revolving around a gigantic star, which spins in a galaxy, which is itself spinning through an immeasurable universe. It’s a wonder we aren’t dizzy all the time! Inspiration seems endless in these glorious, involuntary, annual treks around the sun.
The non-traditional use of paper unifies my work, as I endeavor to create the effect of paint on the canvas. Sometimes a paper is just the right shade; other times, multiple layers and combinations of color are required to achieve the right hue and intensity. Since the papers are derived from organic matter, they yield various natural colors and textures, which add their own unique beauty. Some, like Japanese tissue paper, are so thin they can function as a glaze. Others, such as bark paper from Mexico, are heavy and difficult to control.
I choose subjects that are meaningful to me or impress me with their intensity and depth of color, or that communicate simple truth, goodness, and beauty. My work is successful when it touches more than the viewer’s eye and draws them into a shared moment, memory, or emotion beyond the limited expression of the subject.
Isis
Aimee Bungard is an artist living and working in the hills of Appalachia just outside Pittsburgh with her guitar player husband, 3 free-range children, 2 Suessian mutts, and 1 perfect Torti kitty. She considers Giacometti, Vincent, Frida, Hilma Af Klint, Tascha Tudor, Bukowski, Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, and RamDass to be of the highest inspiration.
In the last few years, my art has become a statement of the Present. From the collective trauma of Covid through my involvement in birth work as a Doula and beyond my ever-increasing frequency of Migraine I am being reminded that our point of power, personal and collective, is held within the honesty of our moments. Our Now. We leave breadcrumbs for those following. My art has become an authentic statement of my ever-changing now, filled with fears (real and imagined), pain (chronic and seasonal), repressions, and unimaginable growth.
Isla Del Encanto No. 4
Cecilia Martinez is an award-winning, self-taught artist. Her work often focuses on issues affecting underserved and marginalized communities, such as racism and poverty. She has exhibited her art in galleries throughout the country, such as the Augusta Savage Gallery at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for “Breathing While Black,” an artistic response to the murder of George Floyd. Additionally, Cecilia’s artwork aired during a segment on Al Jazeera TV that addressed the issue of gun violence in inner city communities. She received a Special Merit Award from the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region for her piece “The Scientific Method of Escapism” and a Social Conscious Award from Contemporary Art Gallery Online for the piece “The ABCs of PTSD.” Her work was published in Jim Crow Must Go, a publication produced by the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle that artistically focuses on how those who do not ascribe to white supremacy and dominator culture can stop Jim Crow laws.
My Isla Del Encanto art series is a collection of work that pays tribute to my Puerto Rican heritage and the island’s culture. Each piece is a mixed media creation, utilizing various techniques such as collage, drawing, painting, and more. Varied materials such as paint, paper, and watercolor are also integrated into each piece. Incorporated into each work is a vintage image of a Puerto Rican woman, a native element of the island (such as a flower or an animal), and a Taino (the historic Indigenous people of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico) symbol. All of these different elements are combined into a work that tells a visual story of Puerto Rican culture – my culture – to raise awareness and bring to light a community that is often overlooked. These pieces have been exhibited and positively received in many exhibits, such as the Newark Museum of Art.
Island Princess
Los Angeles-based artist, James Frost, creates works of magical realism focusing on portraits and animals, presented in more unusual situations. James prefers to work with oils in the classical fat-over-lean style made popular by 15th-century artists. The eternal and dynamic qualities of time and space, the terrifying oceans, and the peaceful mystery of forests are strong inspirations for him.
As an emerging artist in 2023, James continues to advance his craft, venturing into the realm of abstract art, though using similar, classical techniques. His storytelling ability through painting can be described as literal and genuine, and much can be interpreted from his unique designs. His subjects are usually solitary and bold, leading the viewer on an unexpected journey.
*Most recently featured in NYC’s Jumbotron as part of HMVC’s artist promotion!
I paint my favorite people and animals in ways that I haven’t seen before. Sometimes the story pops into my imagination, other times it percolates for a while. My work has been described as literal and genuine; there is much to interpret from my solitary subjects in their unique environments.
I work with oil on canvas in the classic, fat-over-lean method. I am naturally slow, I love the smooth texture of oils and I prefer structure, so this style suits me. I plan on remaining in my oily comfort zone, creating improved pieces until I’m dead, and even then I’ll keep painting in the Great Beyond. I will get more done without earthly distractions like eating or cleaning my brushes. Time is a construct anyway; I’m both a dead and a living painter in the multiverses. I am the Schrödinger’s Cat of artists.